Improvement in discharging apparatus for gas-retorts



5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. Q. ROSS. Discharging Apparatus for' Gas-Retort.

No. 222,565. Patented Dec. 9,1879.

N.PETERS. PHO'IO-LITHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON. D C.

5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

. A. Q. Rossl Discharging Apparatus for Gas-Retort. No. 222,565. Patented Dec. 9,1879.

m} Ihvc 16h; r, W WW N, PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPNEH, WASHNGTON. D16.

5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

A. Q. ROSS. Dlscharging Apparatus for Gas-Retort. No. 222,565.

Patented Dec. 9, I879.

NVFETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D O.

5 Sheets-Sheet; 5. A. Q. ROSS. Dlscharging Apparatus for Gas-Retort. No. 222,565. Patented Dec. 9, I879.

1511192201. Q AM,

are

' ABBOTT Q. ROSS, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

|7MPROVEMENT IN DISCHARGING APPARATUS FOR GAS-RETORTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 222,565, dated December 9, 1879; application filed July 1, 1879.

, elevation; Fig. 6, a bottom plan; and Fig. 7,

a detail view of the tubular rods.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures denote the same parts. it

This invention relates to that class of gasretort dischargers in which the contents of the retort are removed by means of a rake or rakes operated by steam or other power.

A portion of the improvements herein claimed pertain to the guiding and controlling of the rakes, and are independent of any partioular power for operating the machine.

Another portion of the improvements pertains to the use of steam or other expansive fluids for operating the rakes, and is designed to more perfectly control and govern the application of such expansive fluids.

1n machines of this class the perfect and easy control of the rake or rakes by which they can be accurately adjusted to their work has never heretofore been satisfactorily accomplished.

In machines of this class heretofore employed for the purpose of discharging gas-retorts, where compressed air or hydraulic power has been used, much trouble, expense, and care are involved in the transmission of the power from the reservoir to the machin through flexible pipes or hose.

In steam-machines where the boiler is located upon and travels with the machine, and the power is transmitted to the reciprocating carriage or traveler by means of cog, worm, or miter wheels and shafts, expense of construction, much friction, and increased liability to break are involved, and skilled labor is required to operate them.

My improvements consist, principally, first,

in connecting with the steamcylinder and piston for operating the rakes a hydraulic governor to regulate the movement of the rakes and check their velocity near the extremities of theirstrokes second, in transmitting the power from the steam-cylinder to the rakes by means of a crosshead connected with the piston-rod, with araek attached thereto, engaging with a pinion on the same shaft, with a large drum, around which an endless wire rope or chain passes, which is attached to and moves a reciprocating carriage or traveler, to which the rakes arev attached; third, in connecting the front and rear-ends of the main frame of the machine by means of-two rods, which serve as rails, on which the reciprocating traveler moves, and providing said traveler with grooved guide-wheels to run upon and between said rods, and a vertical standard, to which the rakearms are attached; fourth, in providing, in combination. with the rakes, the traveler, and the wire rope or chain, a set of guide-pulleys to support and guide said rope or chain; fifth,in providing on the main frame of the machine an adjustable support for the free ends of the rakes and a lever by which their elevation and depression can be p0sitively controlled at any part of their stroke at the will of the operator; sixth, in providing acounterbalance on the main frame of the machine, and not connected with the reciprocatin g traveler, to assist in elevating and depressing the rakes; seventh, in combining with a rake or series of rakes which automatically adjust themselves to the inequalities or irregularities of the interior of the retorts means for holding them positively in adjusted position at the will of the operator; eighth, in providing means for disconnecting one or more of a series of rakes from the reciprocating traveler, and securing them to the rigid frame of the machine, so that they will remain idle,

without removing them from their position in the machine; ninth, in providing the reciprocating traveler with a slotted vertical standard, through the slots of which the rake-arms pass, and over which arms the slotted standard slides when any one or more of the rakes are detached from the traveler and secured to the rigid frame of the machine tenth, in providing upon the adjustable support for the rakes a grooved roller, over which the rakearms move and on whichthey can oscillate, and an idle roller above to prevent the displacement of said arms; eleventh, in applying the powerto movethe reciprocating traveler about midway between the upper and lower rakes, whereby the strain upon the traveler is equalized; twelfth, in providing a sliding shield to direct into the collar or other receptacle the falling coke as it is withdrawn from the upperor middle retort-all of which improvements are hereinafter more fully and particularly described.

The main purposes of my invention are to obviate these defects in this class of machines, and I have also improved the machine in other subordinate respects, as shown in the drawings and hereinafter described.

The machine is adapted to traverse back and forth in front of the benches of retorts, and to this end its working parts are mounted upon a suitable frame, A, supported upon wheels or rollers B, and moved by hand or otherwise.

The rollers may be grooved or flanged and guided upon rails.

In the drawings, the machine is shown as moved back and forth by a small oscillating engine, 0, connected to one of the axles by suitable crank-shaft and gearing c, and supplied with steam from a boiler, I), mounted upon the frame. The frame is further provided at its front corners with two upright standards, A A which are connected by stout rods or bars a a a the intermediate one being slightly out of line with the others, in order to accommodate the traveler E. These rods are preferably composed of tubes, forming struts or braces between the end standards, A A and having smaller rods extending through them and through the end standards, and secured by screw-nuts at their extreme ends, as shown in Fig. 7.

The traveler is constructed in any suitable form, and is supported and guided by the upper and lower rods, a a, it being preferably furnished with four grooved guide-rollers,-e, and provided on its front side with astout vertical standard, (1, which extends slightly above the upper rod and below the lower one, and is designed for the attachment of the rakearms.

The frame may be further trussed or braced inanysnitable manner,asata Thetraveleris caused to traverse from end to end of the machine by means of a wire rope or chain, F, connected to it preferably by adjustable couplings or eyebolts f, and guided by grooved pulleys f, arranged at (ach end of the frame, such rope being actuated by a drum, G, around which it winds, or by any equivalent thereof.

The drum G is mounted upon a shalt, G, which, at its rear end, is provided with a small pinion, g, that engages with a rack, 9, attached to the under side of the cross-head H, or, more properly, to the under side of a sliding guidebloek, H, to which the cross-head is aflixed.

The guide-block H is provided with grooved sides,into which fit the edges of two horizontal plates, I, that support it and guide it during its movements. The cross-head H is reciprocated by a piston-rod, J, connected with the piston working in a steam-cylinder, K, which is supplied with steam from the boiler D by means of a pipe, d, and is provided with a throttlevalve, Ic, controlled by a hand-lever, k, at the front side of the machine. The exhaustpipe is shown at W, and is preferably extended around to the frontof themachine, in order that the exhaust-steam may, when desired, be utilized to extinguish or assist in extinguishing the tire of the burning coke at that point.

A sliding screen, L, 1s arranged in front of the machine upon a suitable support to prevent the coke from falling upon the machine when the upper rake is in use, and to assist in guidin g the coke into the cellar or other receptacle. This screen is arranged beneath the upper rake, but in front of the lower ones, and is enabled to slide laterally out of the way of the lower ones when they are in use.

The arms of the rake M are supported at the front end of the machine upon deeplygrooved rollers 12, and held in place by frictionrollers n, arranged above the grooved supporting-rollers. The grooved rollers supporting the rake-arms guide them in their back-andforth movements,and prevent them from swinging laterally, while the upper friction-rollers or idlers bear upon the upper surfaces of said rake-arms, and under all circumstances hold them properly in engagement with the grooved supporting-rollers. placed far enough apart to allow some vertical movement of the rake-arms between them, but not far enough apart to permit said arms to be disengaged therefrom.

Each rake arm or handle extends through a slot, 0, in the vertical standard 0. Such of the rakes as are not in use are drawn back, and the rear ends of their arms or handles are secured to the rear standard, A by means of pins 1). The rake which is in use has its arm secured to the vertical traveler'standard e by means of a similar pin, and therefore moves back and forth with the traveler, while the other rakes remain idle. This feature of the machine allows the rakes to be used alternately, giving theidle rakes time to cool, and obviating the necessity for any cooling apparatus.

The rake-heads are attached to the handles or bars by a hinged joint, which permits their lower edge to swing back over the coke encountered in entering the retorts; and they are further provided with stops to hold the heads in a vertical position while raking out the coke.

It is necessary that the rake-head should be perfectly under the control of the attendant, so that it can be raised and lowered whenever and to whatever extent it may be desirable so to do. To this end the grooved pulleys a and rollers n are attached to a vertically-adjustable sliding plate, N, suitably guided, and pro- These rollers should bei bringing. the coke.

vided withian adjustable counter-balance, N.

"The elevation and depression of. the rakes are controlledat the will 'of thezattendant by means of a hand-lever, Q, connected. to the sliding plate N by a rod, q, and bell-crank lever q.-

The lever Q is'arran gedxnear the throttle-lever,

' preferably in suchposition that the attendant, with. his right handon the latter, can control the steam-valve, and at the same time, with his left hand on. the former, can control the rakes.

It isobvious that, by reason of greater leverage, the rakes will bear more heavily onv the supporting-plate N in proportion as they are advanced; hence, by adjusting the weight N to balancethe' rake whenth'ezlatter is near the forward limit of its movement, the attendant will be required to exert but little force to raise or hold the rake-head in'an elevated position, whereas without such counter-balance the same movement would require great exertion on his part.

In operating the machine the rake-arm. is elevated. until the rake-head is about on a line with the center of them'outh of the: retort.

a top of the retort during its inward movement.

If there are any inequalities in: the top. surface of theretort; the operator will be apprised: of them by the irregular movements transmitted to his hand through the lever, and. will thus be: enabled to accommodate the rake to them.

By holding. the rake up against the topof l the retort the rake-heath is enabled to maintain a vertical position, and to be forced down into-the coke at any point, whereas, if it were "permitted to rest on the coke in passing in,

the rake-headwould be. swung up against the armxandv would be liable to slide out without When therake has entered. to theproper'poi'nt it is depressed and heldidown by the operator during its. backward movement.

- It will be further observed that my rakes do -not necessarily makea: full stroke, but can bedepressed and reversed at any part of the stroke. This is of great advantagewherethe retortsvary-in length-,and also when .there'is information of tar-cake near the front of theretort--,vso:asto render it necessary to .re-

. move the cakebefore withdrawing-thecharge,

as it enables the operator notvonly to adjust the'length of" the stroke to the length of the retort, but also to the removal of any cakeor other obstruction at any point within the retort; In fact, nearly every movement that could be imparted to a light hand-rake can be, with equal or greater ease and convenience, imparted to these machinefrakes, even to i the extent of bringing a piece of coke not larger than a walnut from the back end of the retort while the operator is twenty feet away.

The rope or chain F is attached to the traveler about midway between the upper and lower rake-arms, and this tends to equalize the strain upon said traveler.

It is obvious that if the rake should encounter a considerable obstruction when moving in either direction within the retort, it would be liable, upon the yielding of the obstacle, to be thrown forward or backward with great violence, and that by reason of the expansive force of the steam this difficulty could not be practically obviated by instantly cutting oft the steam, I have therefore provided an automatic governor to remedy the difficulty, and which, in practice, is found to answer the purpose admirably. It consists, substantially, in providing the machine with a water-cylinder, It, in which works a piston, It, connected to the cross-head H by a piston-rod, r. The piston R will therefore move simultaneously with the piston of the steamcylinder, and as it moves will displace the water from one end of the cylinder and force it through a pipe, 1, into the other end. The rake can therefore move forward or backward no faster than the water is thus displaced in the water-cylinder; and as the water can be displaced only at a moderate and comparatively uniform speed, it follows that the motion of the rake will be rendered equally" moderate and uniform. The displacement of the water can be further controlled. by a valve or cock, s, arranged in the pipe r, and operated either by hand or automatically, as the constructor may prefer.

For the purpose of preventing the rakes from moving too rapidly at the extreme forward and backward limit of their movement I partially close the water-valve just before each end of the stroke by an automatic arrangement, consisting of a rod, T, connected to the handle or lever of the valve, and extending through guides t and thronglra slot in a projection of the cross-head H. I provide two adjustable stops or tappets, t t, upon the rod T, against which the cross-head will strike as it nearly reaches either end of its stroke, and. thereby slide the rod and partially close the .valve. Springs 25 immediately open the valve again on the return of the cross-head. Care must be taken to adjust the t-a-ppets so as not to entirely close the valve, as that would stop the action of the machineand prevent the reversing of the rakes until the valve was opened by some other means. It will be seen that this hydraulic governor thus performs the function of a buffer to check the velocity of the traveler as it approaches the extremity of its stroke in either direction. Any well-known form of buffer, however, may be used in addition thereto, if desired;

I do not limit myself to the details of construction herein shown and described,.becausc it is obvious that the mechanical principles and mode of operation which are involved can be applied in a variety of ways by a mechanic skilled in the art and instructed by the description herein contained. For example, a rotary water-piston may, with proper connections to the cross-head, be substituted for the reciprocating water-piston. So, too, the governing water-piston may be connected to any moving part of the machine which is actuated by the steam-piston instead of being directly connected to the cross-head. Other liquids may be used instead of water in the governor. The application of the counter-balance may also be effected in diflerent ways, and by a spring or springs instead of a weight, if preferred. It is obvious that an oscillating or rotary steam or air motormight also be substituted for the reciprocating steam-engineherein shown; and the form and arrangement of the several parts of the machine may be varied at the pleasure of the constructor so long as the principle and mode of operation are retained.

I claim as my invention- 1. In combination with a reciprocating rake operated by variable power, a water-governor constructed and operating substantially as described.

2. In a gas-retort discharger, the combination of a steam cylinder and piston with the reciprocating rakes and hydraulic governor, constructed, combined, and operating substantially as described.

3. The combination of the motor, the rakes, and the hydraulic governor with a regulating-valve controlled automatically for the purpose of diminishing the speed of the rakes near the extreme end of their movement, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the cross-head, guided and supported by the lateral plates I, with the rack g, pinion g, drum G, and wire rope or chain, for the purpose of actuating the rakes, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the traveler E, having the grooved guide-wheels, with the rodsa a and vertical standard e, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the rakes, the traveler E, the wire rope or chain, the guide-pulleys f, the drum G, the cross-head H, the steam-motor, and hydraulic governor, constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as described.

7. In a gas-retort discharger, the combination, with a rake or series of rakes hinged to a reciprocating traveler, of an adjustable support for the free ends of the said rake or rakes, by which their elevation and depression above and below their horizontal position can be controlled at any part of their stroke at the will of the operator, substantially as described.

8. In a gas-retort discharger, the combination, with a rake or series of rakes hinged to a reciprocating traveler, of mechanism for positively elevating and depressing said rake or rakes at any position of their stroke at the will of the operator, substantially as described.

9. In a gas-retort discharger, the combination, with a rake or rakes hinged to a reciprocating traveler, of an adjustable support for said rake or rakes, by which their elevation and depression may be controlled at any part of their stroke, or when.the traveler is at rest, at the will of the operator, and with a counterbalance for assisting in said elevation and depression, substantially as described.

10. The combination of the rakes with the counter-balance located upon the main frame of the machine, and independent of the traveler, substantially as described.

11. In a gas-retort discharger, a rake or series of rakes provided with mechanism by which they are automatically adjusted to the inequalities or irregularities of the interior of the retorts, in combination with mechanism for holding them positively in adjusted posi tion at the will of the operator, substantially as described.

12. The combination of the reciprocating traveler and a series of rakes, one or more of which can be projected at a stroke, while the others are rendered inoperative by being secured to the rigid frame of the machine, with a support upon said frame for sustaining the free ends of the rakes, whetherprojected to enter the retorts or retracted therefrom and secured to the rigid frame of the machine, substantially as described.

13. In a gas-retort discharger, the combination, with a reeiprocatin g traveler, of a series of rakes and devices for seeurin g said rakes either to the traveler or to the rigid frame of the machine, whereby one or more of said rakes may be held stationary while the others are projected, substantially as described.

14. The combination of the rakes with the slotted traveler-standard a and means for securing the idle rakes to the frame of the machine, substantially as described.

15. In a gas-retort discharger, the combination, with a rake or rakes pivoted to a reciprocating traveler or carriage, of means for elevating and depressing said rake or rakes at any part of their stroke independently of any movement of the traveler or carriage, substantially as described.

16. In combination with the reciprocating.

rakes, the grooved roller n and idle roller it upon the adjustable support of the rakes, by which they are guided and prevented from lateral movement, substantially as described.

17. In combination with the rakes and their operating mechanism, the laterally sliding shield L, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

ABBOTT o. Ross.

Witnesses:

N. G. KENAN, I. FULLAGAR. 

